shades of red
by berryargento
Summary: Not far from two happy lovebirds, another two people whom bonded secretly with each other tailed them, and struggled with their own feelings.—NozoNico


**shades of red** ; different angle of shades of blue that involve a certain idiot couple. This story is tumblr repost.

* * *

i.

"Nicocchi, what's wrong? Why are you standing here?" the purple-haired student council vice president greets her stunned stature.

"Uhh," she scratched her cheek. "N-Nothing, I just saw a ... fox. An idiot-looking fox."

Nozomi glances back and forth through the hallway, and the school yard. "I see no fox."

"It's Eli and she left her bag," she scoffs. "She was doing uhh some happy dances? And this 'harasho' howl? I cringed at the sight, you know."

The purple-haired girl tilts her head at the mention of happy dance. It is rare that she saw a certain blonde student council president doing a dance outside their practice, let alone, happy dance—if it is really what the raven-haired girl saw.

"Anything that she said that you overheard, Nicocchi?"

"Oh, right," she mimics BiBi exact movement. "Umi, I'm gonna get you—something like that."

Nico gulps as sudden flat, full of thoughts expression of Toujou Nozomi turns into a mischievous smile and smirk.

"I see, I see~ so Elicchi already went that far~" she hums. "If my hunch is right, Eli asked Umi for a date."

The latter's jaw drops, "W-What!? That Russian asked the monster—I mean—Umi to a date? How can you be so sure?"

Again, Nozomi gives her another mysterious smile.

"Just a woman's intuition, Nicocchi," she chuckles. "Well then, mind accompanying me this weekend to tail them?"

Her red orbs bulges, she tries hard to reject the offer but—

* * *

ii.

—Here they are. An amusement park just near the town. Nico was (violently) dragged by Nozomi there on the weekend, despite Nico strongly denies the attempt. Then again, Nico can't defeat Nozomi free spirit and spiritual power, it seems.

"How do you know they will be here?" the raven-haired girl looks over the side-braided girl, who hums happily.

"My cards told me so."

"Unbelievable."

They walk along the rowdy street, all the way to the roller coaster. Nozomi was right, though, that two girls that went inside the line was definitely Eli and Umi, standing side-by-side awkwardly. The ride is the newest addition, including more sharp loops and longer tracks than the older ones.

Nico's expression flattens at the sight, how can that two hopeless girls can do anything called date? and she notices Nozomi already bring a camera out.

Wait.

"... Nozomi, what do you think you are doing?"

"I need to do some documentation of course."

"Don't disturb them, really, let them alone."

"Nicocchi~ we are here for the sake to make their dates memorable!"

"Excuse me!?"

Nozomi bounces over to the end of the line and gets ready. There is a height requirement to go into the roller coaster ride. Nico follows soon after, squints hard to the minimum requirement, and finally notices that Nozomi, after a few moment stares at her, tries hard to suppress her giggle, well, she laughs hard eventually.

 _Minimum heights: 155 cm_

 _Oh. God. Damn. It._

"Stop laughing you idiot!"

* * *

iii.

Both of Nozomi and Nico waits in the safe distance until the ride is over and see that the targets are now relishing their own self on a bench with a horror-looking Umi. Nozomi snaps some photos, and Nico observes patiently.

What is Nozomi's true intention, really? She wasn't really ecstatic with these kinds of things, like when Honoka and Kotori went out together with everyone's knowing, so what's up this time?

Was it because of—

"Let's follow them!" Nozomi pumps her fist to the air. "I think they are going to haunted house, this will be fun and I'll get embarrassing photos of scared Elicchi~"

 _—Poor Eli, may you rest in peace._

* * *

iv.

Nico silently follows Nozomi and enters the haunted house. Of course, it is too dark to get anything photographed in a right way, but one shot of Eli clinging to Umi like a dear lifeline is enough for the entire documentation. Nico still wonders the true intention of the purple-haired girl, but she didn't bother to tell any of it instead accompanies her.

"Nee, Nicocchi."

"Hn?"

"Want to go to the teacups?" Nozomi points at the ride. "It's no fun if we are just following them around, right?"

Nico fully agrees at the offer and they go to the teacups.

At first, Nico is holding the steer. She spins the ride slowly for Nozomi to go 'oooh' in a slow motion. The raven-haired girl smirks as she spins it faster counter-clockwise from where she starts, sending the taller girl stumbles over the other side.

"Nicocchi~ you sure wanna play hard, dont'cha?" Nozomi shot back a grin.

Something feels bad.

Nozomi takes over the steer, and Nico gets her action paid twice—or even three times?—more that how Nico spins earlier. It feels like even the ground and the cup is spinning with the exact speed of the Earth rotation and—

"NOZOMI! STOP! OR I'LL LOSE MY LUNCH!"

"Yan~ what are you saying, Nicocchi? I can't hear you over these strong winds~"

"NOZOMI!"

After three horrendous spins, they exit the ride and Nico need to go to a nearby restroom (with a very healthy-looking Nozomi waves in the background).

* * *

v.

They lost the sight of the two shortly after and wander aimlessly inside the amusement park. Nozomi now dragging Nico to the center of the park. There were food stalls and traditional game stalls along the road, but they decide to go to the arcade (after Nico throws up).

They spend their time by doing the dance game a few times and attracting the awe-struck crowds because both Nozomi and Nico didn't give any damn about losing. They go over all the expert songs on the list and wrecked the high score easily.

"Phew, that was nice," Nico smiles widely after finishing the last song. "Good moves you have there, I never know that you can pull something like that."

"Fufu~ it's nothing, really," Nozomi replies. "You are always the best in dance games, Nicocchi."

"Of course this super idol can do anything!" she beams, puffing her chest with pride.

"Next, how about this?"

Nozomi pats over the crane games. There are wide varieties of animal plushies inside the glass window. Tanuki, panda, bird, bear, fox, bunny, panther, cat—

"You are challenging me, this genius Yazawa Nico over the crane game?"

Nozomi smiles in unison to Nico's toothy grin.

* * *

vi.

They decide to get out of the arcade because they get too many plushies. Nico internally curses Nozomi's pure luck as she gets one more plushie than hers; she got five with two pandas on it. She needs to be sure to think twice before confronting Nozomi into any kinds of battle that needs luck.

"Nicocchi, here."

"What?"

"You don't have the tanuki in your loot, nee? Swap it with the panda that you got."

Nico blinks, at first she thought that Nozomi might underestimate her and goes to give her one of the plushies, but she asked for a swap?

"Okay," Nico grabs the tanuki from Nozomi's bag. "Why the swap?"

She walks past Nico, panda plushie on her hand. "Nothing, really."

" _Oh,_ you hide something."

"Yan~ Nicocchi, it's nothing, really! I just want the panda."

The raven-haired girl gives another strange look before shrugs it off, still suspiciousness grows larger inside her mind about Nozomi's true intention of dragging her here.

No, she's not here for Eli or Umi.

"By the way, we lost them."

"We did, Nicocchi."

"Why, don't you hyped to tail them?"

"We'll run to them eventually, don't worry."

* * *

vii.

They come across the Ferris wheel and finally get to see the couple in target again, much to Nozomi's happiness. Luckily, they got into the car right beside the couple's without the two noticed. The purple-haired girl takes her seat where she could get the best shot of the car beside her, while Nico stays on the other side, seeing the girl ready and gingerly takes pictures. Nico gazes afar, far from Nozomi's side, and heaves a sigh.

"Something wrong, Nicocchi?"

There she is.

"Isn't this finally the time for you to tell me your reason for dragging me here?"

Nico doesn't bother to look into the shades of emerald, she knew all to well that maybe if she look like she was not serious, Nozomi will be lost from her grasp again, or she'll spout another nonsense that she doesn't want to hear—

Nozomi put down her camera. "I never can fool you, can't I?" she giggles. "You see, the tailing mission was just an excuse."

The raven-haired girl about to fall from her seat, "W-W-What?"

"Kidding."

" _Nozomi_."

Now it is the turn for Nozomi to avert her gaze and clasp her lips close with her hands. "I didn't lie, Nicocchi. It really is. I just ... want to spend some time with you."

Nico's throat is going dry. "W, well. No one will gonna pass this chance they can spend with this super idol, of course! Y-you should be grateful, Nozomi."

"Of course I am," she nods. "But I'm not brave and honest enough like Elicchi."

The raven-haired girl tries to bit her lower lips. Red orbs meet with the green ones, as both of them struggles to form and utter any words in silence.

"Nee, Nicocchi," those fingertips reaches the sweaty tiny palms. "What if I tell you that I love you, right now?"

So that's why.

That is her reason.

Not any prank.

Not another lie.

She is—

Nozomi—

(That expression that Nozomi shows to her, the redness of both of their cheeks, their perhaps rushed heartbeats—)

"Nozomi?"

She tilts her head.

"The photo you took minutes ago ..." Nico pauses. "It was them having _their moments_ , right?"

"I don't know that Umi can be so bold like that," Nozomi rolls her eyes. "Perhaps Kotori and Honoka lectured her well."

"Then," the raven-haired girl closes their distance. "Mind if I steal yours?"


End file.
